It may be of interest to your readers that a group of well profiled composers from Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Sweden and Norway have initiated NFCN - Nordic Film Composers' Network. The goal is to bring together all film and media composers from the Nordic countries.

To start out with, we have created an award, aptly named 'Nordic Film composers' Award', which is now being handed out for the third time. The prize is 10.000 Euros (aprox. 14.000 USD), effectively making it one of the World's largest film music prizes. The real prize though, is to know that you're honored by your colleagues.

Our goal is to organize our colleagues, work for a greater awareness and recognition of our invisible artform, step up the friendly competition and professionalism of our community, and not least talk with a more powerful and unified voice in political forums.

Not the least because the media business is undergoing a massive transition these years, production companies are trying to cut costs to meet an unforeseeable future. This is natural, maybe even understandable, but has potentially fatal consequences for the film music and thus the composer.

We trust that every person having just the slightest interest in film and film music, be that as a consumer or industry pro, will see our initiative as extremely positive, which is why I take the liberty of suggesting you write about us.

Obviously, we will be quite happy with whatever publicity we can achieve, as we have a very limited financial backing at this stage.

We shall be most happy to provide you with more detail on our network, Nordic film music in general and not least our award (being handed out in April 30th, 2011, in association with Copenhagen Film Festival aka CPHPIX).

BERLIN PRESS RELEASE: Nordic Film Composers Award teams up with CPH PIX 2011
Nordic Film Composers Network (NFCN) has teamed up with CPH PIX - Copenhagen's international Film Festival for Features to put extra focus on film music during the third edition of the film festival in Copenhagen. The Nordic Film Composers Award is among the biggest film music prizes in the world and is accompanied by a cash prize of EUR 10,000. The award will be presented as part of the CPH PIX closing ceremony, April 30. During the show extracts from the nominated music scores will be performed live on stage.

To broaden the acknowledgement of Nordic film music and to strengthen the cooperation between Nordic film composers, Nordic Film Composers Network (NFCN) was created - a fruitful collaboration between Iceland, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden. Each of the countries is eligible to nominate a national composer for the prize every year. Among the national jury members are film Danish director Pernille Fischer Christensen (A Family), Icelandic film composer Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson (Mamma Gogo), Norwegian film composer Geir Bøhren (37½) and Swedish film composer Jean-Paul Wall (Eastern Plays). The winner is chosen by a special Grand Jury comprised of film professionals from around Europe.

'Film music as such is a special beast,' says Halfdan E, head of the Guild, Danish Film & Media Composers (DFMC - in Danish BFM). 'It is rarely noticed but rather felt by the audience; it is sort of an invisible art form that nevertheless has an enormous impact on the success or failure of a film. What we seek is to strengthen the global position developing the Nordic tone even further.' Recently Halfdan E has composed the music score for A Somewhat Gentle Man and he is known for his music for Danish director Per Fly's trilogy: Manslaughter, The Inheritance and The Bench.

At the CPH PIX award show, April 30, in Copenhagen, the annual New Talent Grand PIX will be awarded to the best new feature by a first time filmmaker. And on the same night The Nordic Film Composers Award will be presented accompanied by the cash prize of EUR 10,000. As part of the events of the evening, extracts from the five nominated Nordic film scores will be performed live on stage.

'We have a joint interest in shedding more light on film music and film composers,' says Jacob Neiiendam, Festival Director at CPH PIX. 'Not least the great work being done by the composers in the region, so naturally we are thrilled and honored to present this prize in connection with our own talent award at PIX 2011.'

About The Nordic Film Composers Award
This Nordic film music award was initiated on a modest scale in 2008. In 2010 it was awarded as part of the prestigious Dragon Awards presented at the Gothenburg International Film Festival and the award winner Dani Strömbäck was credited for his spiritual, transparent musical score for Klaus Härö's film Letters to Father Jacob.

About Danish Film & Media Composers
Danish Film & Media Composers, DFMC, is an association for members of The Danish Society for Jazz, Rock and Folk Composers, The Danish Composers' Union, Danish Popular Authors and the music publishers. The work of the DFMC is funded by KODA, a non-profit collective rights management society that administers Danish and international copyrights for music creators and publishers, when their music is performed in public. One of the main goals of DFMC is to increase the focus on film and other cultural manifestations in the Nordic countries and on film music as an art form.

CPH PIX
CPH PIX is Copenhagen's annual international film festival and aims to bring people together, create a community centred on the film audience and showcase original, thought-provoking, funny and controversial films from all over the world; films that rarely reach regular cinema distribution in Scandinavia. The third edition of CPH PIX, April 14 to May 1, presents a range of unique films, outstanding international events and a strong competition programme. The entire programme will be announced, March 16, at the CPH PIX Programme Launch. PIX focuses on new talents, new ideas, new trends and artistic courage, both when it comes to the festival film programme and the broad spectrum of collaborations across artistic genres and cultural institutions. To help new talented directors forward in the film industry The New Talent Grand PIX is accompanied by a cash prize of EUR 30,000.

THE NOMINATED FILMS ARE
DENMARK
Peter Peter and Peter Kyed's suggestive music for Nicolas Winding Refn's mythological Viking drama encompasses an impressively wide range of musical styles, from the almost symphonic to electronic soundscapes and rough electric guitars. Sound design and music are closely tied to the images, and to a unique extent it is the music that knits this movie into a total art work of colours, images, sounds and music. In particular, the long uninterrupted movement of music for the duration of the film's third chapter, a claustrophobic voyage by Viking ship through dense fog, is quite unique. Highly consistent, carefully prepared and uncompromising film music.

ICELAND:
The jury comrising of Sigur Ros co-leader Kjartan Sveinsson, award winning film composer Hilmar Orn Himarsson and RUV State Broadcasting Corp.´s film music specialist Sigridur Petursdottir, were unanimous in their vote for SLOWBLOW´s soundtrack for Arni Asgeirsson´s film BRIM representing Iceland this year.
Their comments included: "A beautifully sombre and thoughtful score", " Uniquely infectous and relating directly to one´s subconcience" "Perfectly rhyming with the idea of Nordic Identity , bathing , at times in melancoly but always perfectly suiting the film´s needs". "Exactly how a 21st Centry soundtrack should sound!"

NORWAY:
The norweigan jury, consisting of Geir Bøhren, (Film Composer), Einar Aarvig, (Film Critic) and Olav Anton Thommessen, (Composer, Professor of composition) has chosen Gaute Storås for his score to Lise I. Osvolls ’Elias og jakten på havets gull’.
In "Elias and the Treasure of the sea", Gaute Storaas is showing his full strength as a film composer.
The music is composed throughout, and varies between big, dramatic scenes, and scenes of a more intimate nature.
The composer is taking advantage of the timbral possibilities of the orchestra, and, at the same time, is creating a unified musical expression.

SWEDEN:
The Swedish jury has chosen Johan Söderqvist and his music in "In a better World" to be our nominee. The music is a masterpiece, a voyage of emotions accentuating the script and lets you travel with the story. It's a film to be listened to. We have chosen Johan and his music for his ability to reach across borders and touch not just Swedes and people from our Nordic countries but also the jury of the Oscars Academy.
The Swedish jury: Jean-Paul Wall, Film Composer (Stim, NFCN, Skap) - Mikael Carlsson, Moviescore Media - Paula af Malmborg Ward, Film Composer (FFACE, FST) - Sofia Lindgren, Film Editor (SFK) - Lars Nylin musikjournalist (Musikindustrin).

FINLAND:
The Finnish jury nominates Juri Seppä and Miska Seppä’s music for “Rare Exports” for The Nordic Film Music Award 2011. Juri and Miska Seppä's intensive music for Jalmari Helander´s fabulous movie is a fearless score. The combination of the twisted humour of the film and the strenght of the score creates an unique atmosphere.This well written action music is just what this fantastical movie needs, as the movie reveals the truth of the real Santa Claus. Being intensive music for the intensive film, the music takes it´s place in this crazy movie very well. Seppä brothers have already won a Jussi Award for the best music in Finnish film. The combination of the twisted humour of the film and the strenght of the score creates an unique atmosphere. Intensive stuff for the intensive film.

APRIL 30’TH THE NORDIC FILM COMPOSERS AWARD WILL BE HANDED OUT FOR THE 3'TH TIME.

"The lineup for the NFCN award 2011 is as exciting as ever; everything is represented here in terms of style and genre. From sparse to bombastic, from minimal electronic to straight symphonic film music. Add to that, that the five nominated scores are well crafted, highly profiled and uncompromising," says Halfdan E, head of the guild, Danish Film and Media Composers.

What it sounds like you can hear at the CPH PIX award show, April 30, in Copenhagen. Accompanied by the cash prize of EUR 10,000 and a concert consisting of carefully melted extracts from the five nominated Nordic film scores performed live on stage, The Nordic Film Composers Award will be presented for the 3’th time. The concert will be orchestrated by Heikki Elo(FIN), Gaute Storaas (N) and Jørgen Lauritsen (DK), the latter also conducting the orchestra which is carefully selected to match the needs of the music.

The winning composer is decided by an international Jury of High profiled composers/directors, outside the Nordic countries.

The Nordic Film Composers Award and the concert is supported by
KODAs nationale midler